Suggestion: Allow Brits to pay tech to access Sniper at T0

A spectre is haunting Brits in 2v2 automatch... The spectre of the Ostheer sniper...

Playing Ostheer on open maps vs Brits is a tonne of fun. Your sniper takes the head of Tommy after Tommy, your Grens snare any lumbering UC that strays too close, your Scout car murders the Brit Sniper in seconds as soon as it arrives to try to stave off the bleeding. They go AEC, and now you're ahead in fuel so the Panzer IV can run out the game.

At least, it's fun for the first 20 games. After that it feels cruel. And so I got to thinking how Brits could be given a tool that wouldn't completely break the balance of the game.

To me, the main reason the Brit Sniper is so underutilised is that it comes too late. It often comes onto the field facing an Ost Sniper and 222 already built. But simply putting it at T0 would make it the cheapest sniper in the game and probably too punishing.

My suggestion: Enable a 100 manpower, 10 fuel upgrade for the Brit Field Headquarters that enables the training of the Brit Sniper from T0 once upgraded. This prevents the Sniper from arriving earlier than the Ost one and opens up more strategies for the Brit that don't rely so heavily on the unwieldy UC.

Question 1 - Does this fuck up the OKW matchup?: I don't think so. Spending the equivalent of 1 1/2 Tommy or MG squads to use the early Sniper is unlikely to work out very well against numerous OKW infantry. The lack of early snare on the Brit side means that Kubels could also punish the Sniper, even if they do take a beating from it if caught out.

Question 2 - Won't this make Brit even more vulnerable to the Scout Car?: Yes. The AEC is unlikely to arrive early enough to protect your sniper, so going early Engineers and planting a sneaky mine or two seems like a must.

What are your thoughts? A shift in the right direction, or a SNAFU?

Oh god no

Oh god no

Right then! Any particular reason?

Right then! Any particular reason?

OKW

Right, snipers definitely give OKW a headache. But given that Brits would have to spend 460 manpower on the Sniper and wait to build any units while it was teching, do you think the matchup would be that painful?

Or 100mp and 10fu to unlock normal mortar

Right, snipers definitely give OKW a headache. But given that Brits would have to spend 460 manpower on the Sniper and wait to build any units while it was teching, do you think the matchup would be that painful?

It would make more sense going 3 Sections into sniper than going sniper first vs OKW. Going sniper first against OKW is a horrible strategy because you pretty much hand over the entire map for the next five minutes.

It would make more sense going 3 Sections into sniper than going sniper first vs OKW. Going sniper first against OKW is a horrible strategy because you pretty much hand over the entire map for the next five minutes.

I agree. But I don't really see why that build would cause more headaches for OKW than cons/penals + sniper. That soviet composition comes together earlier and doesn't involve any delayed production (i.e. waiting for the upgrade before bringing out the Brit Sniper). Also by the time you have 3 sections you have enough fuel for Platoon Command Post anyway, so you probably wouldn't use the early sniper tech.

I know it's an unpopular opinion but I disagree about sniper being a big issue for UKF. You can go UC + AEC and then counter snipe. Dealing with snipers is really only an issue for OKW and USF because they don't have a sniper of their own.

Actually I find playing vs Ostheer sniper much easier for UKF than dealing with multiple MG42s. But I guess that is just my personal opinion.

Fast 5men squad with sniper？No……

I know it's an unpopular opinion but I disagree about sniper being a big issue for UKF. You can go UC + AEC and then counter snipe. Dealing with snipers is really only an issue for OKW and USF because they don't have a sniper of their own.

Actually I find playing vs Ostheer sniper much easier for UKF than dealing with multiple MG42s. But I guess that is just my personal opinion.

Your UC micro is clearly better than mine then lol. I find that it is very easy to snare because it rotates slowly and can't react well to flanks.

Fast 5men squad with sniper？No……

That would cost you 45 fuel with zero AT options vs early 222/ 223. It could make AT sections pretty good though...

If one goes for a solution like that it would make more sense to delay the Soviet/Ostheer sniper instead...

Maybe drop the price abit to compensate...

If one goes for a solution like that it would make more sense to delay the Soviet/Ostheer sniper instead...

Maybe drop the price abit to compensate...

Hmm, I don't see why shifting 2 units (with all the game changes that entails) would be preferable to adding this option for one faction. I don't think it's too strong, and it adds more options rather than taking them away.

Or 100mp and 10fu to unlock normal mortar

Being able to get the sniper out at a more convenient timing would make buildings a lot less problematic for Brits to deal with.

Hmm, I don't see why shifting 2 units (with all the game changes that entails) would be preferable to adding this option for one faction. I don't think it's too strong, and it adds more options rather than taking them away.

Similar issue exist for other faction vs sniper and they do not have to simply delayed.

Similar issue exist for other faction vs sniper and they do not have to simply delayed.

No other faction struggles as much in the first engagement vs Sniper than Brit with their expensive 4 man squads that prefer to sit and fight at long range.

No other faction struggles as much in the first engagement vs Sniper than Brit with their expensive 4 man squads that prefer to sit and fight at long range.

You do have the UC in T0 with vickers upgrade to chase after the sniper and you can EASILY rush T1 for sniper.

Meanwhile OKW has to pick a doctrine with 221 to dive it or JLI which come much later at 2CP.

My point is it's not fair to give Brits, who have very easy access to the sniper, even better access, when OKW and USF both MASSIVELY struggle to deal with sniper play.

You do have the UC in T0 with vickers upgrade to chase after the sniper and you can EASILY rush T1 for sniper.

Meanwhile OKW has to pick a doctrine with 221 to dive it or JLI which come much later at 2CP.

My point is it's not fair to give Brits, who have very easy access to the sniper, even better access, when OKW and USF both MASSIVELY struggle to deal with sniper play.

I understand this perspective but I don't agree personally. The timing change I propose are unlikely to hurt OKW much because of the delayed build and extra cost attached.

The Brit Sniper 'rush' you're describing is just too slow to prevent early engagements going extremely poorly vs an Ost sniper start. These starting engagements dictate the pace of the game, which for Brit with their cover bonuses is especially bad since they have to fight their way back on the map.

The more I consider this idea the more I like it tbh. It makes tactical support (with the call-in engineers) and the call in AT sections far more viable, and these are currently under-picked commanders.

No other faction struggles as much in the first engagement vs Sniper than Brit with their expensive 4 man squads that prefer to sit and fight at long range.

Eh. Those squads bleed less than their grenadier counterpart so it's not as huge a deal. As said the UC exists and it would be nice to see some variety (and bite) from the brits.